Why We Keep Assembling

The Hebrew writer gives a few simple instructions to us in regard to our worship. One of the foremost of these instructions being “not forsaking our own assembling together, as has become the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25). It is not a rule meant to burden us, having to come to worship every week. Our worship really is a blessing from God that is meant to sustain us. God knows that His people need this period of worship together. We need the encouragement, the reminder, and the renewal that comes when Christians come together.

When we assemble, worship should encourage and sustain us! A week in the world can pull our minds (yes, even your preacher’s mind) in countless directions, but singing and praising God lifts our hearts back toward Him, where they belong (Colossians 3:16). Prayer draws us close to the Father (Philippians 4:6–7), and giving reminds us that our treasure is in Him, rather than the things of this world (Matthew 6:19–21). Worship recenters the heart and lifts our eyes to something worth seeing: the throne of grace.  

     When we assemble, teaching equips us. Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word” because the Word trains, corrects, and builds us up (2 Timothy 4:2; 3:16–17). Every sermon, class, and Scripture reading helps shape us into the image of Christ (Romans 12:2). God uses His Word to strengthen our minds and steady our steps (Psalm 119:105).

     When we assemble, our fellowship strengthens us. The early church devoted themselves to fellowship (Acts 2:42) because they knew that faith flourishes when communing with other faiths. We encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24), bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and remind each other that we are not walking this walk (with Jesus) alone. 

     When we assemble, communion unites us. The Lord’s Supper is a shared proclamation that we belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16–17). When we gather around the table, we remember His death (1 Corinthians 11:26) and the unity His sacrifice creates.

     So why do we keep assembling? Yes, because God said to- but it’s more than that. We need to keep assembling because we need what happens there. Because the church, simply put, is stronger together. 

     The assembly of the church is an absolute necessity in a world that constantly pulls us away from the Lord. Let us keep showing up- not just because we are commanded to, but out of gratitude for the blessings God pours out when His people gather.

Written by: Mason MacDonald